Rare Nature Words/Names

General Name Discussion
1

So I have this deep interest in nature names. I love some of the ones we see around everywhere ([name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_u]Sterling[/name_u], [name_u]River[/name_u] etc). I also love some more unusual nature names ([name_f]Star[/name_f], [name_m]Koa[/name_m], [name_m]Oaks[/name_m], [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] etc). But the category that I’m am especially intrigued by recently is rare nature names and words that can be used as baby names. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, these are some names/words I have discovered recently, that I feel fall into this category.

Alpenglow
Bryluen
[name_u]Cerulean[/name_u]
Drumlin
[name_m]Esker[/name_m]
Fen
Jadeite
Kyanite
Marram
[name_f]Mazarine[/name_f]
Moonglade
Moonwake
Silverberry
[name_m]Tamarack[/name_m]
Tamarisk
Tourmaline
Winterberry
Wulfram

So I am coming to you for any more ideas that would fit into this category of names. Preferably rare nature words and names, that we do not hear or use alot in common usage. It also can be nature words in another language besides English. Any ideas anyone?

Also feel free to comment on the above list, whether you think the names are usable [name_m]IRL[/name_m], etc. Unfortunately though, most will never be a reality for me as my SO will veto names he’s never heard pretty quickly, but I’m still so in love with this style!

2

You mentioned some names of gemstone, so if that counts as nature themed then I love Alexandrite and Obsidian as names too!

3

I like Fen and Tourmaline from your list!

Malachite
Oxbow
Redwood
Glacier
Chine

4

I love [name_u]Cerulean[/name_u] and Fen from your list (( kinda reminds me [name_f]Fenna[/name_f] ))

I have a list for flower and gemstone names myself

”
Alchemilla
Astilbe
Dianella
Diascia
Linaria
Lunaria
Matthiola
Tuberose

”

[name_f]Agate[/name_f]
Aventurine
Carnelian
Eudalite
Larimar

I plan to make lists about water/plant related names next - I also found books about wild flowers of Turkey so more flower names might be added to my list

5

@aldridge I maybe have a fairly loose definition of nature names, so yes I count gemstones! Obsidian is so awesome.

@greyblue I love Redwood! I had never considered that one as a name before, but I love tree and foresty names so it fits right in to my style.

@elifsu Lunaria and Larimar! What wonderful names, I had never heard of them before but I looked them up and they seem both usable and stunning.
And please feel free to share any more great finds you make in the future :).

6

I’ve always thought Borealis would make a cool name, though I seem to be alone in that :slight_smile:
Some other ideas (apologies for repeats):
Derecho
Novaya
Virga
Petrichor
Atom
Bolide
Gamma
Equinox
[name_f]Solstice[/name_f]

7

It’s a total GP, but I always thought Duskywing would make a great middle. I remember seeing Apricity used as a name, which I thought was pretty cool. I also love Firefly and Astrantia!
(Moonglade and Borealis are beautiful suggestions, by the way, and there are so many more gems in this thread!)

9

@namenculture I do love Borealis! It was actually first brought to my attention as a name by another nameberry user! The idea of it is so cool, I love the aurora borealis, and the sound is rather pleasant. But it does seem a little long and cumbersome, so I have also considered just Boreal.
Equinox and [name_f]Solstice[/name_f] are also very wonderful.

@classicbookworm Wow, Dustywing is a stunning one. Yes, a little far out so maybe only as a middle. But it’s so cool! I do love Firefly also, that one would probably also just be a middle imo, because of the word “fly” in there. But maybe I’m too touchy on that!

@adelina_sophia Yes to [name_f]Evening[/name_f] and Wildflower! I am very intrigued by Tulua also, I have never heard of it before, but it has such a beautiful sound! And the meaning seems so lovely.
I know exactly what you mean about Moonglade. Such a magical and nightly sound to it, but I don’t think I could ever use such as a first name.

Thanks to all who have suggested names. I am thrilled by the replies! And of course if there are more ideas out there I am very happy to hear them…

10

I love Kittiwake and Pipit for unusual bird names. Both have such lovely nn potential too!

1 Like
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Daylily
Evergreen
Hummingbird
Twilight
Rosewood
[name_f]Jonquil[/name_f] for a boy
Stardust
Wintertale
Skylark
Daystar
Nightingale
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]

also some rare ones in this list - word names | Nameberry

12

Also, check out the character names (especially surnames) here: List of Characters in The Worst Witch | The Worst Witch Wiki | Fandom

So many of these would fit. Nightshade, Speedwell, Belladonna and Crescentmoon “[name_f]Cressie[/name_f]”!

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[name_f]Acadia[/name_f]
[name_f]Acacia[/name_f]
[name_f]Linnea[/name_f]
Oleander
[name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f]
[name_u]Harbor[/name_u]
[name_f]Oceana[/name_f]
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]
[name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f]
[name_u]Grove[/name_u]
[name_f]Marina[/name_f]
[name_u]Finch[/name_u]
[name_m]Lynx[/name_m]
[name_u]Dove[/name_u]
Alder
[name_u]Linden[/name_u]
Tilia
[name_f]Maple[/name_f]
[name_f]Hyacinth[/name_f]
[name_u]Clove[/name_u]
[name_f]Lilac[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Zinnia[/name_f]
Amaranth

I love the Borealis suggestion. When I was little I always wished my parents would’ve just gone all the way and named me Aurora Borealis :slight_smile:

14

Sorry for any repeats!
Bergamot
Birdsong
Bramble
Cardamon
Cormorant
Delphinium
Dewberry
[name_f]Fawn[/name_f]
Foxglove
Goldfinch
Heartsease
Honeysuckle
Hummingbird
Kestrel
Kingfisher
Lapin
Libellule
Meadowlark
Nightingale
Pipistrelle
Plover
Redfern
Redstart
Snapdragon
Sugarplum
Thimbleberry
Whimbrel
Whinchat
Winterling

15

Some more rare nature words that I think would make interesting (if quite out there) names:
Frazil
Gloriole
[name_u]Echo[/name_u] (okay, not technically a nature name, but found in nature maybe?)
Woodnote (I love this one)
Dandelion
Eventide
Moonstone
Dragonfly
[name_f]Starlight[/name_f]
Bramble
Chrysalis (too symbolic to be a name to me, but I love the sound as a GP)
Periwinkle
Dusk
Girasol (an interesting alternative to [name_f]Opal[/name_f])
Lantana

Thank you so much for this thread! Since I name characters and don’t have to worry about giving them out there names in most cases, this has really helped give me ideas for some combos!

16

These are some of my favorites, which may or may not be middle names for future kiddos:

Alpenglow - this seems more “out there” but it offers some very wearable nicknames: [name_f]Aly[/name_f], [name_u]Penny[/name_u], Glo. I’m an avid hiker and my partner loves to ski, so this gives a nod to our appreciation for the mountains.
Birdsong - this is the one I could most easily imagine using. It perfectly captures the feeling of the first days of spring, which are a meaningful turning point for me every year. [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] is a sweet and not-so-unusual nickname.
Petrichor - I hit upon this as a way to honor a family member named [name_m]Peter[/name_m]. I’ve decided it’s too much of a stretch, at least for my family, but think it could work, esp. if you like [name_m]Pete[/name_m] (or even [name_f]Cora[/name_f]!) for short.
Evergreen - another one still very much in the running, it’s a lovely nature name on its own and a sentimental place name for us. I think [name_f]Evie[/name_f] is a decent nickname option.
[name_u]Cloud[/name_u] - I wanted to use this to honor a close friend name [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] (prn [name_u]Cloud[/name_u]-ee-uh), but it was not my partner’s favorite.
[name_m]Viridian[/name_m] - I love the meaning: a shade of verdant green. I want to convince my partner that this works as a way to honor his mother and a close friend/mentor of mine, both named [name_f]Diane[/name_f], but it’s a tough sell, ha. There’s a [name_m]French[/name_m] feminine variation that I like just as much: [name_f]Viridienne[/name_f].

Others: [name_m]Birch[/name_m], [name_u]Cloud[/name_u], [name_f]Lilac[/name_f], [name_f]Maple[/name_f], [name_f]Mazarine[/name_f]…there are some great suggestions in the entries for the Invent a Name contest: Alchemilla and Rivulet jumped out at me.

I know a sister and brother named Tourma.line and Ze.nith [name_m]IRL[/name_m], and I just met a guy whose middle name is Blizzard this weekend (that was his mother’s surname before she took his father’s, though, so not technically a nature name in that context). He said he didn’t mind having it as a mn at all, that people ask about it a lot, and that it’s his “fun fact” whenever he’s playing an ice breaker at an event. That definitely made me feel more comfortable about using one of my crunchies guilty pleasures in future!

17

[name_m]Ah[/name_m], I love [name_u]Cerulean[/name_u]! It’s one of my favorite uncommon/rare boy names. I think it sounds beautiful. I also really like [name_f]Mazarine[/name_f] from your list, I think it’s very usable for a girl.

18

There are some great names here! My favorites are [name_f]Solstice[/name_f], Lunaria, Aventurine, Borealis/Boreal (I love [name_u]Beau[/name_u] as a nn here), Moonglade, Birdsong, & Evergreen. Here’s a few I like, sorry for any repeats.

[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] (Although I prefer it as [name_m]Peregrin[/name_m], thanks to Tolkien)
Lazuli
[name_f]Elanor[/name_f] (It’s a stretch, does an elvish flower from Middle [name_f]Earth[/name_f] count?)
[name_f]Altalune[/name_f]
[name_f]Andromeda[/name_f]
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvana[/name_f]
Ignius
[name_u]Prairie[/name_u]
Twilight
[name_f]Shasta[/name_f]
Lupine
[name_f]Artemisia[/name_f]
Calendula
Celosia
[name_f]Malva[/name_f]
[name_f]Snowdrop[/name_f]
Malachite
[name_f]Beryl[/name_f] (I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] the way this looks, but I wish it didn’t sound like barrel)
Conifer
Kuiper

I have a bit of a loose concept of “nature”, anything not man made counts to me.

19

I love the suggestions of [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m], Evergreen, Lunaria and Malachite. I also quite like Alabaster and Minnow (which would be really cute with nn [name_f]Minnie[/name_f]).

20

So, so many wondeful replies! The standout names for me:

from @katinka’s link
Starfinder —What an awesome find!
Crescentmoon —This name is pretty epic. It seems like a little much, but the darling nn [name_f]Cressie[/name_f] makes it feels slightly more accessible!

@auroracallista
[name_u]Everest[/name_u] —I like this for a girl especially for some reason! Nn [name_u]Ever[/name_u] is precious.
[name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f]
Tilia —This is a new one for me. Very beautiful!
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
That’s cool your name is [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]! I would name my child that in a heartbeat!

@cchgi
Birdsong
Libellule —I had never heard this one before and had to look it up. Well I would probably never use the name Dragonfly, it is so awesome in [name_m]French[/name_m]! Makes a person tempted ;).
Meadowlark — I see these birds quite often, and I really appreciate them! This is an interesting choice I’d never thought of.
Nightingale
Redfern
Winterling

@classicbookworm
Gloriole —I’d never heard this word before. Seems beautiful
Dandelion —A guilty pleasure of mine. I love the sound, its so spunky, and I even like the flowers in a way. But so many people just think of this as a pesky weed.
[name_f]Starlight[/name_f] —I love all the [name_f]Star[/name_f]- names, and names related to the sky!
I’m glad your getting some inspiration from this thread too. I’m finding it so much fun! So many names I never would have thought of on my own.

@seedsandstones Oh yes, [name_m]Viridian[/name_m] and [name_f]Viridienne[/name_f] are so lovely! I have this thing for colour names. [name_u]Blue[/name_u], [name_u]Indigo[/name_u], [name_f]Azure[/name_f], Zaffre, [name_u]Cerulean[/name_u], [name_f]Emerald[/name_f], [name_u]Golden[/name_u], [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f], [name_u]Silver[/name_u] and more are on my list!
I also took note of Rivulet from the invent a name contest, I think it (and so many others) is so brilliant. A cool twist on [name_u]River[/name_u].
That is a cool story to hear, about the guy with the middle name Blizzard. We’re not the only ones out there who love fun, and maybe a little wild, middle names!

@astronomiette So many good ones on your list! Stand outs:
Lazuli —how could I forget this one!
[name_f]Altalune[/name_f]
Lupine
[name_u]Prairie[/name_u]
[name_f]Shasta[/name_f]
[name_f]Snowdrop[/name_f] —so beautiful and delicate
Kuiper

21

I don’t know if anyone has said these but some nature ones I love are:

[name_f]Cypress[/name_f]
[name_f]Cassiopeia[/name_f]
[name_f]Sparrow[/name_f]
[name_m]Cove[/name_m]
Atlantic
[name_f]Fauna[/name_f]
[name_f]Liana[/name_f]